Episode 48: Spark_Pacifist! [LitRPG/VR/weak->strong]

Koji

This is a joke, right?

Right?

My mind flashes back just to less than an hour ago.

[Quest - Train a Magician! (Part Five)]

[Carmen has chosen you to be her mentor! Train her to be a magician. She has learned about elemental mana forms, magic formation, magic history, and has seen magic used in and out of combat situations. Choose one of your spells and teach it to her!]

[To teach a magic spell, both the person teaching and the person learning the spell must first clear their minds. A quiet room for meditating is ideal. The teacher should grasp both hands of the student, then cast the spell without a target. By grasping hands, the mana flow of individuals is naturally intertwined, which allows a student to observe and experience the spell casting process. The mana cost required for the spell is spent from both teacher and student. Depending on the complexity of the spell being taught and the aptitude of teacher and student, multiple training sessions may be required.]

[WARNING! Both student and teacher will be affected by an augmented version of the spell being taught. Damage and/or death may result from teaching offensive spells without adequate precautions.]

[Reward: 1x Advanced Spell Credit]

An advanced spell credit?!?

Isn't that extremely rare?

During this process of teaching Carmen, this is the first time that I've actually seen a method of teaching magic to a beginner. Grimoires and magical academies exist, and some advanced mages can even create their own spells... but none of those methods have any effect for beginners. Reading books does nothing. Leveling up does nothing. Practicing the same spell over and over again doesn't unlock any spells. And the road seems blocked. You have to have at least an intermediate class to be accepted into a magical academy (they do have a "preparation training course" that costs an extreme amount...), and grimoires can only be read by someone with an advanced class.

It looks like this hand-holding-combination-casting method works for beginners! Which means that I can learn new spells, right?

I don't know what an Advanced Spell Credit is, but my guess is that it will make it possible for me to learn an advanced spell...

Who knows? Maybe I can even learn one from a grimoire!

I turn to Carmen.

Koji: "Are you ready to learn your first magic spell, Carmen? This is the last step in becoming a magician."

Carmen nods her head.

Koji: "Ok. It looks like we need to go someplace quiet. And..."

I realize something.

Carmen has only one hit point.

Magic spark can be used in many ways, but sometimes it's an offensive spell. And even one hit from the weakest offensive spell will kill her. If I cast magic spark without a target, I have no control... which means that I almost just killed my apprentice with my enthusiasm.

We're near the library right now, and there are a couple of magic shops on the same street. Magic items are expensive, but it doesn't look like I have many options right now. Especially if I want to learn my first spell!

Koji: "We have to go buy something first. Then we'll go to a practice room at a guild hall and I'll teach you magic spark!"

Carmen: "Ok!"

I explain the dilemma to the magic shop owner, who listens while nodding his head knowingly.

Owner: "Usually, I would suggest an amulet of protection that reduces the effect of harmful magic. But in this case, an amulet of protection won't work, since the spell may still cause damage. In this case, I would suggest an amulet of spell deflection. They are more expensive, but will deflect any harmful magic until they break."

Koji: "Do they break often?"

Owner: "Sometimes you can deflect two or three spells with an amulet. I've heard that once an amulet deflected spells 5 or 6 times. It's random, but most will break after deflecting the first spell. They also will break on their own after a while by just being worn - a customer once told me it was because they are affected by 'winds of mana' or something - but that's why people don't wear them for battles. They are mostly used by research mages who don't want to be blown up by a powerful new spell or magic device. They put the amulet on right before activation."

So it's literally a one-time use consumable item.

Koji: "How much is an amulet of spell deflection?"

---

Less than ten minutes later we are in a practice room in the basement of a random guild hall. I explained the situation to the receptionist and she gladly let us borrow the room.

Koji: "You ready?"

Carmen: "Yeah. I just have to close my eyes and try to clear my mind, right?"

She seems mature for a little kid.

Carmen: "Sister Maribel taught us to meditate at the church - is it like that?"

Koji: "It's exactly like that!"

Carmen: "I'm good at meditation! Once I even fell asleep!"

Well.

Not sure if that counts, but at least she'll be relaxed, right?

I open the tiny, black, velvet-covered box in my hands and look inside. There, in a small central impression on a velvet pillow, is a tiny amulet on a thin chain.

An amulet of spell deflection. I confirmed its identity at two separate magic shops, after also checking to see if anyone sold them at a lower price.

This thing better be worth it. I have never spent so much money in my life.

I clasp the amulet around Carmen's neck, then sit down across the table from her and clasp both her hands in mine. I clear my mind, and then cast magic spark.

I feel a jolt and a slight burst of pain in my hands.

"Oh!"

Carmen says something, but she's still alive. And the amulet hasn't broken yet.

I check the quest screen. It hasn't been completed, which means we need to do another try. How many times is this going to take? I can't afford another amulet... and I don't know another way to protect Carmen from damage...

I clear my mind again. Quiet thoughts. I don't have time since the amulet could break on its own.

No.

Stop thinking about that.

I clear my mind and cast magic spark.

An electric sensation brushes across the back of my hand.

*ding*

I open my eyes and only glance at the [Quest Complete] before reaching over to Carmen. I unclasp the priceless amulet from her neck and place it back into its expensive box, then place the box into my inventory (the shopkeeper warned that inventories can damage the amulet, but there's no way I'm going to hold it in my hand forever, and it fulfilled its purpose) before looking back up.

Carmen is beaming.

Carmen: "Koji! I think something happened!"

Carmen flips the screen she's looking at to show me. Some screens can be shared with others that are nearby, and others can't. I haven't figured out the rules behind that yet.

[Congratulations! You have unlocked a new class!]

[Class: Beginner Magician]

[The Beginner Magician understands the basics of mana, magic formation, magic history, magic usage, and has learned at least one spell. This class focuses on INT and WIS, and allows the usage of either wand or staff as a magical focus.]

[Choose Class: Beginner Magician?]

Koji: "Yes! This is what we've been working for, so click yes!"

Carmen clicks yes, and a blue light suddenly surrounds her, bright enough that I have to look away. When I look back, she looks the same. No wait... maybe a little healthier? Maybe.

*ding*

That's the screen notification sound, but I don't see a new screen. Maybe it's behind the Quest Complete screen that is still taking up most of my vision.

[Quest Complete - Train a Magician! (Part 5)]

[You successfully taught Carmen a new spell!]

[Reward: 1x Advanced Spell Credit]

[Advanced Spell Credit]

[Immediately increases the proficiency of any unmastered advanced spell to 100%. Mastery must be higher than 0%. Item is automatically applied but can be directed towards spell of choice.]

I click accept and the screen closes to show another [Quest Complete] screen.

But before I can read it, another screen pops up in front of it.

[Applying Advanced Spell Credit]

Wait. Wait. Wait.

[Detecting unmastered advanced spells]

No. Stop.

[No unmastered advanced spells detected]

Yeah duh.